Private Committal

Private Committal

This is a burial or cremation where a small group is invited by family to attend an informal gathering to mark the passing of the person who has died. The gathering generally takes place within 48 hours of the death and is usually held in a simple venue such as a family home, funeral home viewing lounge, or crematorium chapel. The gathering is not usually led by a celebrant or minister but by family and friends and sometimes the Funeral Director is asked to close with words of committal. This type of gathering will usually include a few basic other charges such as newspaper notices after the event; booking a venue; funeral documentation; attendance at viewing; attendance and direction of the gathering.

A Private Committal Includes:

Professional Fees

Providing all administration facilities and staff, including 24 hour call staff, available to receive initial call. Receiving initial phone call for assistance, and arranging for deceased to be uplifted from place of death, including liaison with care staff, and medical practitioner. Initial discussion with representative to arrange time for interview to take instructions. Attendance for interview at location of client family choice, and discussions with family offering choices and options available. Basic dignity attendance to deceased; Providing documentation & equipment to facilitate these discussions including completion of burial or cremation documentation and lodgement and processing of same; Either attendance at medical referee or completion and lodgement of burial warrant. Data entry of all records, including Registration of Death and lodgement of the same. Concluding administrative activities including invoicing, paying other charges incurred on clients behalf, and forwarding any mail.

The Professional fee also includes fees for the arranging, coordinating and facilitating the various areas listed as other charges, including drafting, checking and lodging newspaper notice/s and arranging and setting up venue for gathering. It also includes the attendance for and direction of the Funeral Service or Gathering.

Vehicle Use

Transfer: This includes transfer of deceased from venue within the Wellington or Kapiti Coast District. The vehicle use includes 2 staff in attendance along with the vehicle that is equipped with specialist stretches, pillows, sheets and covers and other personal protective equipment required.

Hearse Hire: This includes the hearse time booked for on the day. The transportation of the casket from the venue to the cemetery or crematorium is based on time of total hire rather than mileage or distance travelled, as the hearse can be tied up for 2 to 3 hours or more yet only travel a small distance.

Casket

For this costing exercise we have based it on a Plain Pine-board Casket. There is no set casket for a Private Committal though and any casket from the range can be chosen and this will effect the final total.

This type of casket is simple in design and aesthetics, it can’t be used for carrying as it has no handles. It is lined in simple unbleached calico with calico mattress and pillow.

Cremation Costs

Cremation costs at Kapiti Crematorium include:

The actual cost of the cremation;

A Kapiti Crematorium Biodegradable Urn;

Medical Referee fees.

Other Charges

The other charges included in this private Committal costing include:

One Newspaper notice 20 lines maximum in the Dominion Post

Use of Crematorium Chapel or set up of private venue.

This Private Committal costing does NOT include such items as flowers for the casket; celebrant fees; main chapel or church venue hire; service sheet printing or set up; photo slide shows or other audio visual work; special music – live or recorded; catering after the service or any other charges the family may choose.

Any other charges added will not just be directly added to the costs but will also affect the Professional Service Fee.

Please feel free to ask for a quote if additional items are required.

Indicative Cost for Private Committal

– Cremation $5,970.00 (incl GST)

– Burial in Kapiti $8,540.00 (incl GST)

Helpful Financial Information

Funeral Prepayments

You may wish to consider pre-paying your funeral. As with pre-organising the funeral, this arrangement can help relieve loved ones of emotional and financial concerns.

The Kapiti Coast Funeral Home has brochures available on pre-payment schemes.

Financial Assistance

There is a grant available from ACC for a death by accident. Claims are assessed by ACC, and forms are available through the Funeral Home or local ACC office. Presently the maximum ACC funeral grant is currently $6,021.11

The WINZ funeral grant may be available to the partner, child, parent or guardian or funeral director of someone who has died, to help towards the cost of the funeral. The grant is currently $1,971.37 and is income and asset tested.

The basic principle applied by WINZ is that you should be using the deceased persons finances to pay for a funeral service. The WINZ funeral grant is only seen as a “top up” towards a funeral account.

Contact Us

We trust this information has helped you.
If you have any questions or if you require more assistance and advice,
please feel free to contact us.